Films

These are documentary films of music and
dance performances that I myself filmed during the years 1966-1982. The
quality of the original films is very good, however, getting the films
into some media that can be easily viewed on line is a challenge that
I am still working on. I will continue to add to these as I can.

Korea

Ah-jeng Sanjo improvisation by Kim Byong-ho. realmedia
Korea 1966
One of the last of the Sanjo improvisers. With the going of his generation
most kayagum players rely on standardized and memorized versions of
a few of the old sanjos.

Kayagum Sanjo played by Yu Tai-bong realmedia
Korea 1966
Another of the last
improvisiers of Kayagum Sanjo, Yu Tai-bong was at the time of this filming a
member of the faculty of the National
Classical Music Institute (Kugnip
Kugahk Won )

Kayagum Sanjo played by Hwang Byong-gi realmedia
Korea 1966Hwang Byong-gi stands a bit part from all other Kayagum
players in Korea. He has studied and can perform several different versions
of Sanjo and has also studied Korean Court music and perform this music as
well. He also is one of the most successful composers in Asia of new
music using elements of the older traditions. His compositions are numerous
and stand as excellent works in the modern idiom. He also holds a law degree
and was for some years a business man.

Within the repertoire of the Korean Court musicians is a large body of songs
known as the Royal Ancestor's Music. Modelled after the older "Confucian"
Ritual music, this body of music was drawn from the repertoire of songs
that were popular in old court and then were re set into the elegant ritual
style and used as accompaniment to the ceremonies in honor of the ancient
kings of Korea.

Ah-Ahk (Korean Court Music) realmedia
So-Mu (Royal Ancestor's Music) Orchestra on the Ground
Following the pattern of the Confucian RItual music, the Royal Ancestor's
Music alternates one orchestra playing on the ground and another on the
higher terrace. Both this film and the previous one were filmed at the
Tomb of the Royal Ancestors in Seoul.

Pyong-kyong solo realmedia
The tuned jade stone instrument is used for both the Confucian Ritual ceremonies
and for the Royal Ancestor's music.

This last one was particularly difficult because we
lost synch between the Nagra and the Arriflex in the filming. I was
able to clip this together in small bits, still far from perfect
but it does show the mastery and sensitivity of this doubtless undisputed
master of Turkish classical music, Necdet Yasar, in his younger years.

All these films were taken at the University of Washington
or in the Republic of the Philippines and the Republic of Korea.
All were filmed by Robert Garfias

This digitization process has been almost
entirely done by Film & Video Transfers, Inc. of Northridge, California.
The project itself has been made possible with the cooperation of
the Instructional Technology Center at UCI and the NACS also of UCI. Laurel
Sercombe of the University of Washington Ethnomusicology Archives has made
the original 16mm films available for digitization. John Vallier of the
UCLA Ethnomusicology Archives has also provided assistance in the processing
of films and audio tapes. The films processing has been done with the
assistance of a Mini Grant from the UCI Instructional Resources Center
and from the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor at UCLA.